For Immediate Release
October 18, 2005
School-based health clinics earn high marks, expand access
Learning Well Inc. serves needs, expectations of thousands, evaluation shows
INDIANAPOLIS – More than 12,056 Marion County students took advantage of free medical care and health education services at school-based clinics during the 2004-2005 school year, thanks to steady growth of Learning Well Inc. in public, private and charter school systems.
Those students and their parents say clinic convenience and accessibility make Learning Well a valuable family resource, according to results of an independent evaluation conducted by the Indiana University Bowen Research Center. In fact, a majority of parents surveyed said the clinics have reduced their out-of-pocket medical expenses.
“Keeping kids healthy and in school is part of our mission,” said Donna A. Stephens, executive director and CEO of Learning Well. “Providing health care services in the school setting helps keep kids in the classroom so that they have a chance to learn and succeed. Health care becomes a bridge, not a barrier, to learning.”
Since school-based clinics began operating in the 2001-2002 school year, Learning Well staff has provided more than 153,000 services to students in clinics throughout Marion County. During the last school year alone, more than 43,000 office visits were made to clinics, where more than 74,000 services were provided to students at no cost.
The most common diagnoses/treatments last year were headaches, immunizations, obesity-related problems and counseling and stomach aches. Learning Well staff also provided health education, general counseling and behavioral health counseling to students and their families.
National research shows that healthy students have better school attendance and better in-class performance. It also shows that students who receive clinic-based health care are less likely to make emergency room visits or require hospitalization, resulting in a cost savings.
Bowen’s evaluation of Learning Well clinics revealed interesting local statistics for the 2004-2005 school year:
· 18 percent of all Marion County students (ages 5-17) had access to a Learning Well clinic (28,011 of 158,838 students)
· 40 percent of Indianapolis Public Schools students had access to a Learning Well clinic (15,566 of 39,115 students)
· 43 percent of the students at schools served by Learning Well visited the clinics during the last school year (12,056 of 28,011 students)
· 89 percent of the students seen at Learning Well clinics returned to class after receiving health care services
During the 2005-2006 school year, Learning Well plans to spend $1.8 million providing health care services to students at 68 clinics in public, private and charter schools throughout Marion County – up from 52 clinics last school year.
Learning Well is a nonprofit organization that is funded in large part by grants from The Health Foundation of Greater Indianapolis and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. Learning Well has brokered partnerships between schools and health care systems to offer free medical care and health education services to students. The overarching aim: Improve student health, well-being and performance in school.
To learn more about Learning Well, visit its Web site at www.learningwellinc.org.
Media contacts:
Donna Stephens, Learning Well, 472.1473 or
Kelly Wright, Hetrick Communications, 262.8080 or
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